Since I started teaching in MSD Wayne Township in 2006, families across District 46 have trusted me with their children.

For the past 10 years, I have served as principal of an award-winning K-8 Indianapolis Public School. Prior to my career as a building administrator, I taught high school English in one of the largest schools in the state of Indiana.  As a life-long Hoosier, I am a proud Indiana University alum. I earned a Master’s Degree in Language Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from Indiana University. I hold a K-12 School Administrator license, license to teach middle and high school English, and a license to teach English as a New Language.

I know education, education policy, and the way these policies not only impact schools, but also impact communities. Help make sure educators have a seat at the table during decision-making.

PLAN FOR THE STATEHOUSE

I want to serve on the Senate Education and Career Development Committee. I would support legislation that would have a direct positive impact on economic and workforce development for our city and state. I would emphasize the connection between expanding high quality Pre-K access and workforce expansion. I would champion funding post-secondary apprenticeships programs to spur economic growth and the diversification of our current trades workforce. 

My vision for K-12 education is that all students will be prepared to dream big and that their outcomes cannot be predicted by race or zip code. To do this, we must ensure that we expand access to arts, science, and technology programming. And, that this programming is embedded into the school day and not seen as an extra for a select few. In order to cultivate the next Mari Evans, Major Taylor, and Wes Montgomery, we have to fully fund schools so this type of inspiration is possible.

I supervise a staff of 50 employees and oversee a $4M budget. I know first-hand the challenges employers are having staffing key positions and roles, and doing so with budget constraints. I also know the challenges hard-working employees face when they don’t make a living wage.

In my own building, there are several team members who make less than $15/hr. These folks work tirelessly and pick up extra roles — like tutoring or coaching a sport — with the hopes of piecing together a paycheck that will allow them to make ends meet. 

PLAN FOR THE STATEHOUSE

We need champions at the Statehouse who understand the economic and emotional impact of low wages. We need champions at the Statehouse who will fight for a $15 minimum wage. I will advocate for legislation that will balance increasing the minimum wage with the impact a significant increase would have on small businesses. 

From my experience leading a staff of 50 and overseeing building operations for our K-8 school, I know firsthand the challenges employers are facing. We can’t train HVAC specialists and plumbers fast enough. And I know too well the challenges of our current teacher shortage.

I look forward to using my background in workforce development and post-secondary readiness, which go hand-in-hand with economic development, to serve our community as a State Senator.

PLAN FOR THE STATEHOUSE

I want to serve on the Education and Career Development Committee. I would support legislation that would have a direct positive impact on economic and workforce development for our city and state. I would emphasize the connection between expanding high quality Pre-K access and workforce expansion. I would champion funding post-secondary apprenticeships programs to spur economic growth and the diversification of our current trades workforce. We must continue to support unions and emphasize apprenticeships programs in the building and construction trades. Apprenticeship program accreditation standards are critical to ensuring that we have a well-trained workforce that is ready to meet the needs of our community.  

We must all work together to champion economically and racially diverse neighborhoods. We do not need failed “rehabilitation” projects in our city where long-standing neighbors are displaced under the auspices of urban development. As a Principal, I have fought against the unintended consequences through the lens of education access, and I am ready to take this commitment to the next level.

PLAN FOR THE STATEHOUSE

All neighborhoods deserve well-lit streets with sidewalks and roadways that are intentionally designed to promote safety and connection. I will work to ensure that infrastructure dollars are equitably distributed so that our highest-need neighborhoods are not continually left behind. We must promote inclusive growth and champion income diversity in our neighborhoods. We must make small businesses viable and increase safe places to walk, roll, play, and connect. I will champion legislation that supports these tenets, and proven strategies like community land trusts that ensure residents are at the table to manage how their communities grow.

For a few years, we lived steps from the Downtown Transit Center. We could easily go to Garfield Park to the Farmers’ Market or to Broad Ripple for lunch. My kids knew the names and faces of several of the drivers, and they loved chatting with other regular riders. Now, we live a few blocks from the nearest bus stop, with transit that comes less frequently.

We are a one-car family with the privilege to live close enough to walk to work and school. Yet, I miss the ease with which we could ride on a bus near a Rapid Transit route.

PLAN FOR THE STATEHOUSE

Local issues, like transit funding and expansion, should remain local issues and should not be legislated at the Statehouse. The Purple Line east to Lawrence and the Blue Line west to the airport need to be fully supported. As the economic and entertainment core of Indiana, all Hoosiers will benefit from a Capital City with robust public transit.